


Alex and his Rose Bush Boys

by goodluckgettingtosleep



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Accidents, Bobby gets roped into things, Boys Kissing, Crushes, Drunken Shenanigans, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Innocent voyeurism, M/M, Making Out, Minor Alex Mercer/Bobby Wilson, Minor Alex Mercer/Bobby Wilson/Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters, Minor Injuries, OT3, Oblivious Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Oblivious Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Partying, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:02:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29471394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodluckgettingtosleep/pseuds/goodluckgettingtosleep
Summary: Five times Alex has to watch his two drunk and supposedly straight best friends make out with each other, and one time he finally gets to join.Or, Luke and Reggie are completely oblivious and Alex has a lot of feelings.
Relationships: Alex Mercer/Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 42
Kudos: 205





	Alex and his Rose Bush Boys

**Author's Note:**

> for the prompt: "drunk prompt for luke/reggie/alex: both reggie and luke get exceedingly and overly clingy when drunk and alex, always being the designated driver, has to deal with his two boyfriends. preferably back in the 90s when they were teenagers or au where they lived so they can drink legally (if you want that)"
> 
> as it often goes with me, this has developed a life of its own and kind of strayed away from the prompt a little but but i hope you'll enjoy anyway. it was definitely the most fun to write.
> 
> (also. this is the best title i could come up with, alright. and now i am CACKLING. it sounds so silly, but it fits?)

Alex really wishes he didn’t always volunteer to be the designated driver most nights when he’s out with Reggie and Luke. And Bobby, though Bobby usually isn’t anywhere close to where his problems originate. Bobby is usually the one who finds himself a nice girl to make out with and then goes home with her or takes her wherever she needs to go. Luke and Reggie, however, are the unpredictable ones that never make it home on their own. And that would be fine, really, if they weren’t both affectionate drunks who got extremely clingy when they had too much to drink. And Alex doesn’t even mind that so much either; he loves getting hugs and cuddles and kisses on cheeks and foreheads from the two boys he loves most in the world. But it also causes him a lot of trouble most nights that he doesn’t really appreciate. _Mostly._ His feelings about the whole thing are a little complicated, really. Because Luke and Reggie aren’t just clingy and affectionate with him and each other when they’re drunk, they also frequently end up making out. With each other! Even though, for all Alex knows, they are both _straight._ So well, okay. Maybe they _aren’t,_ after all. Maybe they aren’t even aware of it. Either way, it is extremely frustrating to watch his two previously supposedly _straight_ best friends get it on with each other, while he has yet to be kissed at all. It’s even worse that he has crushes on both of them that he _thought_ would always remain hopeless because neither of them likes boys. 

So the fact that he always has to be the one who drags them apart and makes sure they end up in their own beds or at the garage at the end of the night is absolutely the _worst_ part of it. Alex isn’t sure much more he can take before he snaps. 

**I.**

Alex isn’t really sure what’s going on with his friends at first. It’s the first time they’re all out at a big party together, and therefore the first time Luke and Reggie touch any alcohol that goes beyond the stach Reggie’s Dad keeps in the cupboard under their stairs. It’s okay for the first few drinks, they’re all laughing and joking together, until Alex notices Reggie reaching out for Luke’s hand more and more. A few minutes later, they’re full on holding hands right there in the middle of the room. It’s not unusual. Luke and Reggie are both physically affectionate friends, who never shy away from holding hands or hugging a little more than your average person. And even when Reggie is sitting on Luke’s lap on the couch about an hour later, it’s not that unusual. Luke wraps his arms around Reggie and giggles as Reggie says something Alex doesn’t catch. He buries his face at Reggie’s back and seems to tighten his embrace a little bit. Alex watches them and smiles fondly. And he keeps watching as the two of them whisper and giggle, and Reggie turns in Luke’s lap so he sits on hit sideways, their faces so close together, it makes Alex feel like a third wheel, even though he’s halfway across the room and surrounded by at least 50 other party goers. It’s still not entirely unusual. Alex knows how close Luke and Reggie are. But there is something about their touches and smiles today that feels different. 

Shaking the thought, he finishes his coke and finds Bobby flirting with a girl in a corner, just as he expected. He gives him a thumbs up when he catches his eyes, and receives a nod in return. He sighs as he turns his gaze back to his other friends, and suddenly he’s glad he already finished his coke, because he is sure he would have spilled it all over himself otherwise. Luke and Reggie are _kissing._ Not fully making out, but they keep pressing chaste kisses to each other’s lips, giggling in between and making eyes at each other that he can only describe as heart eyes. _What the hell?_ He jumps up from his chair, spluttering, looking around and opening his mouth, biting his lip when he realises there is no one he can be completely confused about this with. He blinks, dropping his empty coke can to the floor. 

Shaking his head, Alex makes his way over to them and flops down onto the couch next to them as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening at all. 

The two of them don’t even jump. They keep eyeing each other fondly, even as Reggie says, “Oh hey, Alex.” 

Alex tries for nonchalance, but the sound that comes out of his mouth makes it sound more like he’s choking. He takes a deep breath. 

“Okay. _What_ are you guys doing?” 

Both Luke and Reggie finally turn to look at him, shrugging. 

“Luke and I were wondering if kissing a boy feels any different than kissing a girl,” Reggie says casually, giggling. His eyes are all wide, his cheeks red, and his hair messy in a way that just serves to show how drunk he is. 

“Yes,” Luke agrees, nodding enthusiastically.

Alex blinks. Only his two dumbass best friends would come up with an idea like that and then immediately go through with it without even sparing a second thought. 

“And?” he asks. 

“Well, this middle school level kissing we’ve done so far feels kinda similar but also different. A bit more scratchy, probably because Reggie’s facial hair decided to start growing last year.” 

Reggie nods. “Yeah, and Luke’s got some, too. It’s nice, though. I don’t even know why so many people are opposed to it. If kissing your bro feels this good, shouldn’t everyone be doing it? But I suppose you know that already, Alex, don’t you?” Reggie chuckles, and all Alex can do is stare at him. 

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure not everyone thinks it’s that _nice_ to kiss another boy _,_ dude,” he chokes out. 

Reggie hums, then shrugs. 

“Well, they should, though! I like it. So far. Haven’t tried a proper kiss yet.” 

“Yeah, man,” Luke whines. “I like it too, alright? Can we try the next level now?” 

Reggie immediately turns back to him and smiles enthusiastically. 

“Yes!” he says, and then promptly leans down to crash his lips against Luke’s. All Alex can do is sit there and stare as they kiss still rather innocently, but keep at it instead of peppering kisses on each other’s closed lips. Luke’s hand comes up to the back of Reggie’s neck as he deepens the kiss, making it a little less innocent, and Alex feels something stir low in his stomach. His chest feels a little tight, and the stir turns into a full flutter as he watches his friends kiss. Oh boy. 

“Can I use my tongue?” Reggie mumbles against Luke’s lips after a little while, and Alex feels his cheeks heat up. He should really get up and leave them to it. He knows this. And yet something keeps him rooted to the couch, like a complete weirdo. 

Luke doesn’t reply but he sees the way the two seem to melt together even further, and he swallows hard. 

Alex faintly wonders why this is his life. His two maybe-not-so-straight-after-all best friends are now fully making out with each other, while he remains unkissed. While he thought there was no boy around who would possibly want to kiss him. 

He jumps up as he feels something snap inside him, the stupid fluttering riling his anxiety all up. 

“Are you two quite done yet?” he asks, irritation growing in his chest. Luke and Reggie pull apart, cheeks flushed, and their lips all red and swollen and glistening in a way that does funny things to Alex’s chest all over again. He hates them a little bit. 

Luke grins and reaches up to stroke Reggie’s cheek in a gesture that’s too soft to be just casual friendly banter between bros. And Alex realises with a start that his two dumbass best friends, the biggest and most oblivious idiots in the entire universe, are absolutely and completely in love with each other, but instead of going about it like normal people would, they do, well. This. And they aren’t even aware of it. Alex groans in frustration. 

“Sorry, Al. Got a little carried away there,” Luke says, looking a little sheepish when he meets his eyes. He pushes Reggie off his lap and they both get up from the couch. 

“That was pretty hot,” Reggie comments, sounding more than a little out of breath. 

“I wanna go home,” Alex tells them grumpily. And his friends have the audacity to use their swollen kissed lips to peck his cheeks and then sandwich him into a hug. They stay at the garage that night, and Alex finds himself with an armful of Reggie on one side, and an armful of Luke on the other as he stares at the ceiling and tries and fails to find some sleep. The image of his friends kissing is burned into his memory and keeps replaying in his mind, making him feel all warm and tingly, and the fact that he is currently in the middle of a cuddle pile with both idiots does not help at all. The sun is already starting to rise again when sleep finally takes over. 

**II.**

Luke and Reggie don’t seem bothered at all by the fact that they spent their Saturday night making out with each other and that this particular fact might not be something that just _happens_ between two friends. They go right back to normal, as if nothing ever happened. At least, that’s what they think they’re doing. But Alex sees them. And he sees what they think no one else sees. The looks. They keep eyeing each other when they think the other isn’t looking, each with matching dopey smiles or biting their lips as if they were thinking very hard about something. Alex wants to knock their heads together. 

The next time it happens when they’re having a party at the garage. Alex is really glad he doesn’t have to drive for once, but he doesn’t particularly feel like drinking either. He’s a very honest drunk, and he fears that truths he’s not ready to share would come tumbling out tonight if he drank a little too much. So he nurses a can of coke instead and watches a group of people play drinking games until he gets bored, throws some darts at the board on the wall with a little more force than necessary, and finds himself roped into a round of truth or dare with Bobby until Bobby gets distracted by the same girl he made out with at the last party they went to. It only then occurs to Alex that he hasn’t seen Luke and Reggie for a while. Huffing to himself, he goes on a mission to find them. He knows it’s probably a bad idea, but he feels responsible for them and wants to make sure they’re okay. They were both drinking quite a lot, and Alex is a little worried, even though he knows he likely has no reason to be. Plus, he’s bored. Honestly. He just wants to hang out with his friends, even if they’re kissing again. 

Alex finds them making out on Bobby’s bed. Of course. They’re fully horizontal, and Luke is currently kissing the side of Reggie’s neck with a lot of dedication when he enters the room. Alex feels that fluttering again, and his heart beats a little faster. Luke doesn’t seem to notice his presence, and Reggie flushes a deep shade of pink and looks a little wide eyed, but quickly sends him a grin. 

“Seriously, guys?” Alex asks around a sigh. “What— what are you doing?” 

Luke’s head finally snaps up, and Alex immediately notices the purple bruise on his neck. 

“We realised we never gave anyone a hickey before, so we decided to try it on each other,” Reggie tells him excitedly. Luke nods, grinning. 

“Yeah, man. Gotta say, though. Giving it is a little more fun than receiving it.” 

Reggie frowns at him. 

“Are you insulting my hickey skills? I’ll have you know, I enjoyed your mouthiwork just as much as giving you that hickey!” 

Luke chuckles and flicks Reggie’s nose. 

“No, bro. It just hurts a little, is all. Your _mouthiwork_ was excellent.” 

It’s enough to bring a smile back to Reggie’s face. Alex shakes his head at them. 

“Do you really not see how this,” Alex gestures between them, “isn’t exactly normal friend behaviour?” 

Luke and Reggie look at each other for a moment and then shrug at the same time. 

“It’s fun, though,” Luke says. Reggie frowns. 

“How else would we practice?” he asks. 

Alex sighs. His friends really are the most dense people on the planet, and he faintly wonders why he secretly wishes to be a part of whatever they have going on between them. Maybe he is just really that desperate for physical affection that goes beyond the platonic, he thinks. Maybe he really just wants to be kissed, too. Or maybe he’s just kidding himself, because he knows perfectly well that he loves them both more than he should. 

“Okay,” he says. “I’ll just— leave you to it, then.” 

Alex turns to leave, and when he glances over his shoulder, his friends are already making out again, kissing on the lips this time, Luke’s hand shoved halfway underneath Reggie’s shirt. 

Alex is already half asleep on the pull out in the garage that night when he feels two pairs of arms wrapping themselves around him from both sides. The fluttery feeling under his ribcage immediately startles him awake again. He really doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do with Luke and Reggie anymore. He feels like he’s about to burst at the seams with so many different emotions. 

  
  


**III.**

Alex doesn’t get it. He doesn’t understand how Luke and Reggie can keep making out on the weekends when they’re drunk, and then act like nothing happened during the week. He pulls Luke aside first. It’s Monday night after practice, and Reggie already left to be home in time for dinner. Luke stares at him expectantly, but the words suddenly seem to have left Alex’s mind and he comes up with a blank. 

“Alex? Are you okay?” Luke asks. “What did you want to talk about?” 

Alex stares at him for a moment longer before blurting, “Reggie!”

Luke looks distinctly confused, an amused smirk pulling at his lips. 

“Yeah? What about him?” 

“You and Reggie!” Alex manages to say. “You can’t tell me you keep forgetting what you get up to on the weekends.” 

Luke blushes. Okay, then. So he does remember. And he’s not quite casual enough about it to keep his cheeks from heating up. 

“Chill, man,” Luke says, but Alex can see right through him. “We’re just trying some stuff. Having some fun. It’s nothing.” 

_“Nothing?”_ Alex screeches. Luke snorts and pats him on the shoulder. 

“You don’t have to worry about us, Alex. Really. It’s fine, man.” 

Alex shakes his head. 

“You do know that it’s… you know, kinda _gay,_ what you’re doing?” 

Luke _shrugs._ He _shrugs!_ Alex can’t believe him. He had a full crisis before accepting that he is indeed _very_ gay, and Luke just chooses to make out with his best friend one day and _shrugs?_

“So?” he asks. 

_“So?_ Are you gay too, then?” 

Luke shakes his head. 

“Nah, I still like girls. I just also like kissing Reggie.” 

Alex blinks at him. 

“So _at least_ you’re not straight, then.” 

Luke _shrugs_ again and Alex wants to kick him. 

“Guess not, man,” he says with a smile, grabbing his backpack. Staring is all Alex can do when Luke leaves the garage. 

So, Luke is hopeless. Alex has a feeling that he won’t have more luck with Reggie, but he tries anyway. He catches him just before school on Wednesday, crowding him against a wall behind the school building. 

“Alex?” Reggie shrieks, clearly a bit startled by the sudden attack. 

“You and Luke! Spill, Peters. What’s going on?” 

Reggie blinks, his mouth opening and closing a few times as he splutters. At least he doesn’t fake any nonchalance the way Luke did. 

“I-- I dunno, man. It just _happens._ ” 

Alex sighs. 

“It just happens and you’re… fine with it?” 

Reggie shrugs. He _shrugs!_ What is it with his dumb best friends and their shrugging off important matters? 

“Yeah. It’s hot, man. Plus, it’s good practice,” Reggie says.

 _“Practice?_ For _what,_ bro? Luke’s the only one you’re making out with every week.” 

Reggie seems to think about that for a few moments, humming, and then he shrugs again. Alex clenches his fist at his side. 

“You never know when you need to kiss someone?” Reggie says weakly. 

Alex sighs again and shakes his head. 

“There is nothing straight about your thing with Luke. You do know that, right?” 

Reggie’s eyes widen a little and his cheeks turn a faint shade of pink. 

“I haven’t actually thought about that,” he mumbles, “But I don't want to stop, I think. Does that mean I’m gay? Like you? But I still like girls!” 

Alex gives his friend a small smile.

“It’s not just black and white, Reg. You can also be both. It doesn’t matter. Look-- I just… Nevermind,” Alex says, shaking his head. He’s suddenly feeling a bit tired of getting involved in this thing he has no place in, apparently. So he turns to leave. “I’ll see you at lunch.” 

On the following weekend, Luke and Reggie get drunk again. And of course, Alex is driving again. They play _Spin the Bottle,_ and of course it works out just in their favour. Luke is already sitting in Reggie’s lap on the floor anyway, so when the bottle lands on them twice in a row, the entire group gets to witness them kissing each other’s faces off for an extended moment. And then another. In fact, it doesn’t seem like they have any plans to stop at all. Everyone is staring at them, and the silence gets increasingly uncomfortable. Alex really _cannot_ believe them. It’s like his stupid friends don’t have a single care in the world.

Bobby leans over to Alex, whispering, “Why does this look like they aren’t doing it for the first time? That looks _intense,_ man. Disgusting, but _intense.”_

“Because they aren’t!” Alex snaps, “The shit I have to witness every week while you’re off kissing dark haired girls in corners!” 

Bobby makes a gagging noise, but there is a teasing grin on his lips. 

“This band is gay as fuck, man. Maybe I should try it as well, make it the royal flush of queerness or something,” he says. Alex glares at him. Bobby merely nudges him and shrugs. _SHRUGS._

He focuses his eyes back on Luke and Reggie, and he knows he has to stop them, because no one else will, and it’s really fucking uncomfortable. He hates the way watching them kiss affects him, the way it still makes him feel all fluttery and fills him with longing. Because he wants a kiss, too. From each of them, alright? Damn it. 

Sighing, Alex crawls across the floor until he’s right next to them and does the only thing he can think of. He tackles them. The crowd around them cheers, some of them yelling “Finally!” and Luke and Reggie groan when they’re ripped apart and hit the ground. The three of them end up in a pile of limbs, and Alex bursts into laughter. He can’t help it. He thinks he probably sounds a little hysterical, but can he really be blamed for that? 

“You two are the most hopeless people I know,” he wheezes. “Absolute dumbasses.” 

“Hey!” Reggie complains as he extracts himself from their tangle of limbs. 

“To be honest,” Luke groans, “He has a point, Reg.”

Alex turns to him, grabs his face, and presses a kiss to his cheek. Screw it all. 

“That’s my Luke,” he says. He doesn’t see the way Luke blushes, and he also doesn’t see the way Reggie’s eyes widen a little with interest. He’s too busy laughing. It gets even better when Bobby joins their pile by tackling Reggie back to the ground and pressing a rather wet looking smooch to his lips. Alex thinks he’s close to dying. He’s laughing too hard, and he’s so frustrated because he can’t believe even Bobby gets a fucking kiss, but right now he doesn’t even care because he just can’t stop laughing. He loves these fucking idiots so much, and he really doesn’t know what to do with it. 

Bobby makes a face when he pulls away from Reggie, who looks like a deer in the headlights, cheeks an impossible shade of red. Luke glares at them, pouting. Alex thinks it’s the best thing he’s ever seen.

“Yeah, I don’t think I wanna do that again. No offense, man. It was a nice enough kiss, but. No. Sorry, no gay royal flush,” Bobby says. Alex clutches at his stomach as it starts hurting because he can’t stop laughing. 

Alex takes Reggie home first tonight, and as soon as he’s alone in the car with Luke, the singer blurts, “I can’t believe Bobby kissed him! Like, why Reggie?” 

He looks like he bit on something sour, and Alex snorts.

“You’re jealous,” he states. Luke glares at him. 

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” he says, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Alex snorts again. 

“Sure, dude.” 

They’re quiet for a few moments, before Luke breaks the silence again.

“Can you please stay at mine tonight?” he asks in his whiniest drunk Luke voice. “I want a cuddle. And you took Reggie away.” 

As if there is any way Alex can say no to that. So he ends up with an armful of Luke exclusively that night, and the fluttering in his stomach reaches new highs. He knows he’s a little bit fucked. Because Luke and Reggie are so clearly in love with each other, even though they don’t know it yet, and Alex. Well. Alex is in love with them both. And he loves watching them kiss. He doesn’t even know where to begin being okay with that. 

  
  


**IV.**

Okay, so Alex knows he’s in a bit of a pickle. Developing romantic feelings for not one, but two of his best friends probably wasn’t his smartest move. Especially because he picked the two who can’t stop touching each other once they consumed any kind of alcoholic beverages. He isn’t even sure they need them anymore. But he hasn’t caught them during the weeks so far, so he’s fairly certain it’s still a thing between them that belongs to the weekends and involves a certain state of drunkenness.!

He’s not proud of it, but he keeps a close eye on them at the next party, and when he sees them sneaking out into the backyard, he follows at a safe distance. He doesn’t mean to spy, really, but it’s like he’s being pulled along by an invisible string. 

In the end, though, it turns out that it was a good thing that he followed them outside. Because they’re kissing and fumbling before they even found a good spot, just walking while they’re completely caught up in each other, not paying any attention to where they’re going. They’re kissing with abandon, pushing and pulling, and _laughing_ in between, like two love sick puppies. Alex gets a little distracted by his own butterflies as he watches, and then it’s too late when he sees how close they’re getting to the rose bushes. He’s about to call out, but then Luke stumbles over a rock, sending the two of them right into the said bushes. It’s quiet for a second, and then they both groan in pain and Alex immediately sets off across the lawn to get to them. Neither of them are wearing their jackets, so their arms are covered in bloody scratches, and Reggie has a gushing wound on his forehead where he must have collided with one of the rocks around the bushes. Luke clutches his wrist to his chest, groaning as he tries to sit up. 

“I can’t leave you alone for one second, can I?” Alex complains as he leans over them. Luke frowns, hissing in pain as he manages to sit up, but scratches his arms on the thorns again as he does. 

“How did you get out here so fast?” 

_“That’s_ what worries you?” 

Luke makes a face. “Guess not,” he says, casting a worried glance at Reggie, who looks a little dazed as he keeps lying there. 

“You okay, Reg?” Alex asks, feeling a little panicked. 

“Yeah, I just-- I’m feeling a little dizzy,” Reggie tells them. 

“Okay, I’m taking you two to the hospital. _Now.”_

Alex reaches down to help Luke up, carefully inspecting his wrist when he stands. 

“Dude, I think it might be broken. Did you hit it on one of the rocks?” 

Luke stares at his wrist like his whole world just ended. 

“No, no, no. It can’t be broken. How am I supposed to play guitar with a broken wrist?” he says, sounding a little panicked, and when Alex meets his eyes, there are actual tears in them. One falls, and Alex feels something go very, very soft in his heart. He reaches out to wipe the tear away with his thumb, and Luke’s breath hitches ever so slightly. 

They’re having a bit of a moment, he thinks, feeling all warm and fuzzy, but then Reggie groans again, and he’s immediately startled back to reality. 

He helps Reggie up as well and tells them to walk to his car while he goes to get a few towels from the house. When he returns outside with an armful, he finds his two friends wrapped around each other, carefully sparing their wounds and injuries, but holding on nonetheless. Somehow their embrace looks more intimate than any kiss he’s ever seen them share, and Alex feels something burn in his chest in the best way possible. It’s not jealousy. It’s the insane amount of love and care he feels for them, he knows. 

Alex gently presses one of the towels against Reggie’s forehead when he reaches them, and uses the others to tap away some of the blood from their scratched arms. He ushers them into the car when he’s done and drives straight to the hospital. They’re quiet on the way, and Alex sees in the rear view mirror that Luke and Reggie are holding hands in the backseat. He smiles softly, even though he also absolutely can’t believe that his two dumbass friends landed themselves in the hospital because they were too busy kissing to watch where they were going. He snorts. 

“Have fun explaining to people how this happened,” Alex jokes when they’re almost at the hospital. 

“Why don’t _you_ explain it?” Luke asks. “Clearly _you_ were creeping around and watching us.” 

Alex blushes, but he won’t let Luke win this one. 

“Because clearly you two cannot be trusted by yourselves when you’re drunk! And I was completely right.” 

They both know there isn’t really anything Luke can say to that, but Alex catches his poked out tongue in the rear view mirror. 

It turns out that Luke’s wrist _is_ broken, and he gets a thick cast that definitely will not allow him to play guitar for a while, which remains his biggest worry. He whines and cries about it, and Alex has a lot of tears to wipe away. Luke gets his arms patched up too, as well as the few scratches on his face, and he almost looks like half a mummy when they’re done. Reggie looks even more like one when he gets his arms and face patched up, a thick bandage around the gush on his forehead. He gets some stitches there, too. The doctors want him to stay overnight to watch his concussion, and Luke throws a fit until they let him stay, too. They’re cuddled together in one bed when Alex leaves, his heart feeling all warm when he casts one last glance at their entangled limbs. 

  
  


**V.**

Luke and Reggie are a lot more touchy around each other after their little accident, even during the weeks. They keep sharing looks and whispers and touches, and one night Alex sees them kiss each other goodbye and his breath hitches when he realises whatever they have going between them is now a thing regardless of their state of drunkenness. They don’t need alcohol to be clingy with each other anymore, but it certainly still spurs them on. Something twists in his chest, because all of this seems to come so easily to them. They decided they like each other, so they just do. 

Alex is not sure what he expects. They’re having a party at Luke’s house because his parents are out of town, and when he can’t find his friends anywhere, he knows they probably disappeared to make out in Luke’s room. He _knows,_ and he doesn’t really _mean_ to just burst in there anyway, but for some reason he does just that. He doesn’t expect them to be down to their boxers for sure. They’re _heavily_ making out, their clothes scattered all over the place. Their underwear, Luke’s cast, and the bandaid on Reggie’s forehead is all that remains on their bodies. They’re touching and kissing and writhing around and Alex knows he should leave because they haven’t even noticed him, but somehow he feels rooted to the spot as he’s watching them. They’re just doing _this_ as if it’s nothing, as if it’s normal, and Alex hasn’t even fucking been kissed yet. It’s a little unfair. He wishes he could feel as casual about any of it as his friends do. They’re always so unbothered; as if the world isn’t out for them, or as if they just couldn’t care less if it is. They started this, decided they liked it, and just stuck with it. It’s admirable, really. Alex wishes he was more like that. 

He stands there and keeps watching a little longer, like a creep, and then a moan falls from Reggie’s lips and it startles Alex out of it. He turns, leaves, and quietly closes the door behind him, taking a deep breath and groaning a little frustratedly as he leans back against it. 

“What’s going on in there?” Bobby asks, and Alex nearly jumps out of his skin when he realises the rhythm guitarist is standing right in front of him. 

“You don’t wanna know,” Alex says, breathing still coming a little heavily. He steps away from the door anyway, and Bobby opens it to glance inside, coming back making gagging noises when he closes it again. 

“What the fuck, man! I thought they were just like… casually fooling around a little sometimes, but that looked like it’s on the way to something else.” 

“I warned you,” Alex simply says. Bobby considers him for a moment, head tilted to the side. 

“You look a little hot and bothered, my friend. _You_ would like to join, wouldn’t you?” 

Alex blushes and averts his eyes. 

“I would be happy with just any kiss at all, dude!” he blurts, voice getting a little louder while he speaks. 

Bobby eyes him curiously. 

“Wait! You haven’t been kissed?” 

Alex blushes again and shakes his head. Bobby looks at him for a long moment, a smile forming on his lips. 

“Well. Kissing Reggie wasn’t too awful, even though I don’t want to do it again. For you, I’d make an exception, man.” 

Alex stares at Bobby, completely taken aback. 

“You want to kiss me?” he asks, voice so high pitched it makes him flinch when it comes out. 

Bobby shrugs. 

“I’d kiss you. Give you your first kiss so you don’t end up with some asshole just because you’re that desperate for it,” Bobby says around a grin. “Look. I know I’m not Luke or Reggie. I can tell they’re the ones you actually want to offer. But I’m here, aren’t I?” 

Alex blinks. It’s tempting. He’s been wondering for so long, and he _trusts_ Bobby. So why not, right? Bobby might be straight, but he’s offering. Luke and Reggie are too busy with each other anyway, and Alex doubts they’ll ever need him as a third wheel extension between them. So he nods. 

“I— yeah. Yeah, okay,” he says. Bobby grins and pushes him against the opposite wall. He doesn’t give Alex much time to think before he presses their lips together. It’s— well, it’s a kiss. Bobby’s lips are a little chapped, and he tastes like beer and cigarettes. Alex kisses back a little awkwardly, not sure what to do with his hands, so he settles them on Bobby’s waist. The other boy kisses him like he usually kisses girls in corners, but Alex can tell he’s not _quite_ into it. He makes his best effort, though, and Alex appreciates that. 

“What?!” Reggie shrieks, and Bobby jumps away from Alex, looking startled. Alex stares at Luke and Reggie standing in the doorway to Luke’s room, both fully dressed again. _“What?”_ Reggie shrieks again for good measure. Luke eyes them curiously. 

“I thought you said you were done kissing boys, Bobster,” he says, crossing his arms as he leans against the doorframe. Bobby snorts. 

“Trust me. I _am._ But what kind of friend would I be if I let this beautiful fella of a man run around unkissed for a single day longer?” 

Luke frowns. 

“Unkissed?” 

Alex smirks and puts his hands in the air. 

“Not anymore,” he cheers, “Thanks, Bobby. That was quite good.” 

Bobby claps him on the shoulder. 

“You’re welcome, bro,” he says with a grin. “I gotta find a girl now, though. No offence, Lex.” 

Alex chuckles. “None taken.”

  
  


**+1**

Bobby leaves, and Luke and Reggie keep staring at Alex with wide eyes. 

“Why did you ask Bobby to kiss you?” Reggie asks, pouting. “You could have asked us, too! At least we like boys now!” 

Alex stares back at them, dumbfounded. He blinks as Luke nods, pointing at Reggie as if to say that he completely backs his point. 

“You guys were a little busy,” Alex says, his voice coming out sounding a little choked. 

“You _saw_ us? Just now?” Luke asks. Alex blushes. It’s answer enough, it seems, judging by the smirk growing on Luke’s lips. “Like what you saw?” 

Alex splutters, and he knows he’s about to be subjected to whatever mess Luke and Reggie decide to get into tonight. Because Luke nudges Reggie’s shoulder, they share a glance, grin, and then Alex is being dragged into Luke’s room. Luke closes the door behind them and pushes Alex against it. Reggie is right next to him. 

“We’re really hurt you didn’t ask either of us to be your first kiss,” Luke says. 

“Yeah, but you can make up for it,” Reggie agrees. “By kissing us now?” 

Alex breathes heavily, eyes darting between his two friends who are eyeing him like he’s their prey. It would almost be intimidating if he didn’t know them as saw the fondness in their eyes. Maybe he got it all wrong, he thinks. 

“Oh—okay,” he manages to stutter out. He’s waited too long for something like this to happen to just miss his chance now. He doesn’t get another thought in, because Luke kisses him. He kisses him right on the lips, his cast poking into the side of his waist as he pulls him close. Alex kisses back immediately, and is almost startled by how different it feels to kissing Bobby. Luke clearly wants this, wants _him,_ and his lips are so much softer. He tastes like gin tonics and banana flavoured chapstick. Alex thinks he might also taste like Reggie, but he will have to find out what Reggie tastes like first to be sure. 

Luke deepens the kiss, tracing his lips with his tongue, and Alex lets him in and kisses back with all the feelings, all the love he has for him. He remembers long nights in the garage, remembers cuddles and chats and movie nights. He remembers writing songs together and telling Luke that he’s gay and receiving a tackle hug in return. His chest nearly bursts with it all, and when Luke pulls back, Alex grins stupidly. He’s impossibly beautiful, and Alex has seen him look all kissed before, but it’s even more beautiful when he’s responsible for it, he finds. 

Luke is pushed away by Reggie, who crowds into Alex’s space now. 

“That was super hot, and I would love to see that again, but it’s my turn now!!” he says, almost sounding giddy, clearly bubbling with excitement. Alex acts impulsively for once, grabs him by the front of his shirt and drags him in, connecting their lips. Reggie gasps softly, and Alex brings a hand up to the back of his head to keep him close. Reggie’s lips are more plush than Luke’s or Bobby’s, but just as soft as Luke’s. He tastes like the same banana chapstick, and something familiar that he already knows from kissing Luke. They taste faintly like each other, and the realisation let’s warmth pool in Alex’s guts. He has just as many memories with Reggie. Some of them are the same. But he also remembers walks on the beach, hugs when Reggie’s parents fought again, Reggie’s brilliant smile when he came out to him. He pours it all into the kiss, letting his tongue explore Reggie’s mouth, and he feels a little floaty when Reggie pulls away. It’s almost too much when he realises that Luke has been kissing Reggie’s neck all the while. 

“I love you guys,” he blurts. Luke and Reggie both smile at him, Luke’s arms wrapped around Reggie’s waist from behind. 

“We love you too, man,” Reggie says. Luke nods. 

“We didn’t know you’d be into this.” he adds, gesturing around the three of them. “It’s a little… unconventional.” 

Alex snorts. “I don’t care what’s conventional. I just kissed all three of my band members in the span of 15 minutes. That’s not conventional either. I just want to be with you. Both of you.” 

Luke makes a face and wrinkles his nose. 

“I have to kiss Bobby too now, don’t I? Or I’ll be the odd one out. I hate being the odd one out.” 

Alex barks out a laugh. 

“Absolutely, babe,” Reggie says with a grin. “And Alex, yes. We want that, too.” 

Alex pulls them both into a hug, and there are neck kisses and snuggles for a little while, before Luke decides he needs to get the Bobby thing over with. 

They find him in a corner, and Luke walks up, gently shoves the girl away, and places a big smooch on Bobby’s lips. Bobby stares at him wide eyed when he pulls away, and then bursts into laughter. 

“The gayest band in the universe,” he comments. 

“Sunset _Curve,”_ Alex, Luke, and Reggie all say at the same time, before joining Bobby’s laughter. 

Alex thinks that he gets it now. Why it’s so easy for Luke and Reggie. Because they always have each other. It’s so much easier to conquer the world together. Especially with a boyfriend on each hand. 

  
  


\- End. - 

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on tumblr [@sunsetcurveofficial](http://sunsetcurveofficial.tumblr.com)


End file.
